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Yes, the Mopar 340 was a great engine. Plenty of power for their size, relatively lightweight and rugged.
In my top 10 favorite cars, one would be a 340 Mopar... a '68 or '69 Dart GTS with Torqueflite and 3.91 gears.
Every muscle car magazine has mentioned that the 340's rated horsepower (275) was underrated. It was more like 300 hp.
One of my buddies has a '69 340 4 speed...4:10 Sure Grip. The engine has been built as well. It's that bright green color..... Sublime maybe?? Flat black stripes and hood. It burns rubber and tears ass down the road like no ones business. He's raced LS1 Trans Ams and Camaros with it. They weren't laughing.........
I could do that with my Cherokee (in 2WD), but only when the ground was wet. My RWD Volvo 242 was slow but super fun when it was snowing. Ditto for my Mazda B2200. (I think everything else has been FWD.)
I've been thinking about Mustangs lately--new ones. With a V6 and a stick shift, for the best fun and MPG combo, right from the factory. No fuss, no muss. Jump in, drop the top, buckle up, and drive.
I could do that with my Cherokee (in 2WD), but only when the ground was wet. My RWD Volvo 242 was slow but super fun when it was snowing. Ditto for my Mazda B2200. (I think everything else has been FWD.)
I've been thinking about Mustangs lately--new ones. With a V6 and a stick shift, for the best fun and MPG combo, right from the factory. No fuss, no muss. Jump in, drop the top, buckle up, and drive.
He went easy on it....I've seen a lot more smoke than that from the '68-'73 340 Darts. No wet pavement, gravel or snow needed!
One of my buddies has a '69 340 4 speed...4:10 Sure Grip. The engine has been built as well. It's that bright green color..... Sublime maybe?? Flat black stripes and hood. It burns rubber and tears ass down the road like no ones business. He's raced LS1 Trans Ams and Camaros with it. They weren't laughing.........
A '69 with a 340, 4-speed and 4.10 gears? Should have broken into the 13s pretty easily. Add headers, a cam and wider tires and your looking at low-13s or high-12s.
Yes, the 340s were a match for quite a few other cars, even some with big-blocks.
Driving is my hobby. I never particularly cared what I was driving, as long as it handled reasonably well, and worked well enough to cruise 70-75 on the interstate without white knuckles.
If driving is your hobby, then cars must be, too. Because that is what is usually driven.
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I did have preferences--I've pretty much always liked Honda since I first drove my step-dad's '85 Civic, and liked the smooth engine, good fuel economy, the way it handled (I called it "light with bite," referring to the lightweight steering and the way it would "bite" into a corner without a lot of body roll), and the way it never seemed to break down compared to the VW's and various American cars the rest of the family owned. Today, that '85 Civic would be virtually unacceptable to me--a low and slow 70 HP 2,000 lb. death trap with no safety features except seatbelts and a padded dashboard.
Well, we differ on that. I have never been a fan of Honda. Too small and cramped. From an early age, I was (and still am) into classic Cadillacs/Lincoln/Imperials and muscle cars like the '69 Dodge Charger R/T, '70 Chevelle 396 and 454, '69 Pontiac GTO Judge, '69 Ford Fairlane 428 Cobra-Jet, etc. I like those cars as much now as I did back then.
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I really only wrenched (and took high school auto shop) in order to A) learn how cars work for my curiosity, and B) to keep them working longer on a low budget so that I could keep on driving.
Same here. I did mods to my '66 Dart (and my current '66 Plymouth Fury).
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I'm certain I would have appreciated your Dart back in its day--177,000 miles would make me happy indeed--but now that it's 2012, I'd prefer the modern version.
That's fine. Just remember, the modern "Dart" is nothing like the original Dart. The modern one is just another bland car that looks like it was styled in Japan. I appreciate my Dart both back then and now. And, as mentioned, wouldn't mind owning another one.
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Different strokes for different folks. Some people like working on them and customizing and restoring old beauties, some people just want to hit the road and drive. I'm the latter.
I do both. But not as much working on them as I used to.
Curb weight: 3186 lbs.
Horsepower: 160 hp @ 6400 rpm
Power to weight ratio: 0.0502 hp/lb
2013 Corolla:
Curb weight: 2734 lbs.
Horsepower: 132 hp @ 6000 rpm
Power to weight ratio: 0.0482 hp/lb
Difference: 0.002 hp/lb
I'm not a fan of the Corolla but don't make the 2.0L Dart sound like it's miles ahead of the competition in performance. It's a heavy car and the numbers don't lie.
I miss this old Dart with the Slant six engine and was excited to hear that the name was being revived until I saw the new model which looks nothing like the original Dart of the 60s and 70s that had the indestructible slant 6 engine. Not that I'm surprised, but I expected the new Dart to at least be as similar to its vintage counterpart as the Charger and Challengers are to theirs.
Anyway, I'm curious as to what other Mopar enthusiasts think of the new dart and how they think it stacks up to the original.
I don't miss the lifter tick of the old 225 cu. in. at all. As a mopar fan, I dislike the new 4 door chargers.
Indeed it is. The Dart is too heavy to stand out in it's class and the more intriguing options like the 1.4L Turbo and the R/T are way too expensive and underpowered. The R/T costs 22.5k and offers only slightly more performance than a 2.5L Golf that starts at 18k...and the interior of the Golf is nicer.
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